When I told my mama that I wanted to do a blog post on Candlemas, she said, "Do we even celebrate Candlemas?"
Well, the answer to that question is both yes and no. In the Methodist church, we don't really follow along with most of the traditions regarding Candlemas. Most of the traditions for this holiday stayed behind in England and the rest of Europe. But we do, however, celebrate the Presentation of the Lord at the Temple. ...Which is a lot longer to say than Candlemas.
The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple was the day when, well, Mary and Joseph presented Jesus at the Temple. According to Jewish customs, women were unclean for forty days after giving birth. After forty days, women went to the temple or synagogue for ritual cleansing. Also, even though Jesus would have been circumcised and named eight days after His birth, it was custom to take the newborn babies to the temple along with the mothers after forty days so the babies could be blessed. Since we symbolically celebrate Christ's birth on Christmas, we celebrate the Presentation of Jesus forty days after Christmas, since we don't know the exact date.
According to Luke 2: 22-38:
"When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all nations
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
and the glory of your people Israel.”
The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
There was also a prophet,
Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old;
she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming
up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about
the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of
Jerusalem."It's interesting that Mary and Joseph sacrificed two pigeons or doves, because as the Scripture mentions, that is the sacrifice for the poor, who could not afford to sacrifice a lamb. As we discussed in a previous blog post and Bible study, this may indicate that the Three Kings had not yet arrived to bring gifts to Jesus.
But the point is, the Presentation at the Temple is important. Jesus was recognized by an elder who had received messages from God and by a prophetess---important people in the Jewish world---as being the Messiah. And this is in addition to the shepherds and wise men. Jesus' life on Earth began in a manger without ceremony, but He began His mission right away. He was the Messiah, and the testimonies of these educated Jewish elders affirms it.
I can't imagine what it must have been like to be in Mary's shoes that day, having an elder praise God that he had lived to see her baby, and having a prophetess give blessings to Him. How amazing, and bizarre, must that have been?
Since this was such an auspicious part of Scripture, it was, of course, celebrated by the early Christians, starting somewhere in the 5th century.
In the old traditions, Candlemas was the day when the priests would bless the candles (usually beeswax candles) that would be used in the church for the rest of the year. Some of these candles would be given to members of the congregation for use in their homes, and according to Polish traditions, lighting these candles and placing them in a window during a thunderstorm will keep the house safe. In Eastern Orthodox churches, Candlemas is a day to bless women who have just gone through childbirth, the way Mary sought blessings from the Temple.
There are other Candlemas traditions that have to do with preparing the fields for planting. In the Middle Ages, farmers would often say a prayer while preparing their plows. Then they would bury holy water and bread beneath the first furrow they plowed, saying another prayer giving thanks to God for the Earth and asking Him for a plentiful harvest later in the year. In Ireland, Candlemas is an extension of St. Brigid's Day, which is on February 1. According to legend, St. Brigid founded the first convent in Ireland, and people would celebrate by placing a loaf of bread on the windowsill for St. Brigid, along with corn for her cow. Even today, people weave St. Brigid's crosses, which were originally made from wheat stalks and were used to protect homes from fire and lightning.
Traditional foods to serve for Candlemas include pancakes, crepes, and cakes, since they are made from grain and are round and golden like the sun, which gives us light, much like a candle.
The candles were blessed because candles are a symbol of light, and Jesus is, as Simeon said in Luke 2, "a light of revelation" for all people who seek to be saved.
